Man sentenced in teen’s fentanyl death
A photo of the difference between real and counterfeit oxycodone pills was shared by the U.S. Department of Justice. Counterfeit pills are becoming more and more commonplace.
(Photo courtesy U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE)
SANDPOINT — A Cusick, Wash., was sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison for selling the pill that led to the death of a Sandpoint teen in 2020.
U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill sentenced Antoinne James Holmes, 23, to 151 months in prison and ordered that he pay $3,270 in restitution. Holmes, upon completion of his prison time, was also ordered to serve an additional three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit said in announcing the sentence.
Holmes was charged with distribution of fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury and death following an investigation by the Sandpoint Police Department, Idaho State Police, and the DEA task force in Coeur d’Alene.
Hurwit said Holmes was arrested after an investigation resulting from the death of a 16-year-old Sandpoint teen who was found unconscious at his Sandpoint residence on Aug. 28, 2020. Despite attempts to revive him by his father and medical personnel, the teen died and his death was determined by the coroner to have been caused by fentanyl poisoning. A toxicology report and autopsy both showed the teen had a lethal amount of fentanyl in his system at the time of his death, Department of Justice officials said.
During the investigation, officers discovered that the teen had met with Holmes during the early morning hours of Aug. 28, 2020, near Oldtown. Holmes was found to have sold the teen pills containing fentanyl. It was one of these pills that eventually killed the teen, Hurwit said.
Based on evidence uncovered during the investigation, officials said it appears the teen immediately lost consciousness after consuming the pill.
“This tragic case illustrates that fentanyl can be an instant killer,” Hurwit said. “We must do all we can to rid our communities of this poison, and I know our federal, state, and local partners are dedicated to this mission. Prevention is also critical, and so we must all spread the word about this extremely addictive and deadly drug. This is truly about saving lives.”
Even one pill can be deadly, Jacob D. Galvan, acting special agent in charge of the DEA Seattle Field Division, said.
“Unfortunately, this is another tragic example that ‘one pill can kill,’ ” Galvan said. “We will continue to work with all our state, local, and federal partners to hold accountable individuals like Mr. Holmes and ensure we keep our communities safe and healthy.”
During their investigation, officers learned that Holmes had been pushing fentanyl-laced pills for several months before the teen was found unconscious in his bedroom at his family's Sandpoint home.
Idaho has seen a massive influx of counterfeit pills in the last several years, the U.S. Attorney’s press release said. “The pills are mass-produced by criminal drug networks and falsely marketed as legitimate prescription pills.”
The pills are mass-produced by criminal drug networks and falsely marketed as legitimate prescription pills. The pills are made to look like prescription opioids such as oxycodone (Oxycontin, Percocet), hydrocodone (Vicodin), and alprazolam (Xanax); or stimulants like amphetamines (Adderall)
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50-100 times stronger than morphine. Pharmaceutical fentanyl was developed for severe pain management and prescribed in the form of transdermal patches or lozenges. While prescription fentanyl can be diverted for misuse, most cases of fentanyl-related overdoses in the U.S. are linked to illegally made fentanyl that is sold through illicit drug markets for its heroin-like effect.